Using the Material Palette

Materials can be thought of as "paint" for 3D shapes. A material is made of a number of attributes including color, transparency, specularity (shininess), and optionally one or more textures (bitmap).

Click to show the Material Palette panel. Or select the Material Tab to show all Material sub-panels.

The Material Palette includes a material preview. As you change material attributes, the material preview is updated to show you how your material will look when applied to a shape.

A material is applied to a shape by using the Paint and Fill tools.

Miscellaneous

A color may be selected by clicking the color preview, clicking on the Select Color button or by selecting a named color from the color list.

To reset the color to the default click the Reset Color button.

Diffuse, Specular, Ambient and Translucent attributes may also be set.

Texture Selection

A texture can be selected by clicking on the texture preview, by clicking the Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

To reset the texture to the default click the Reset Texture button.

The PNG, Targa (TGA) and DDS graphics file formats includes translucency information. If you select a PNG, Targa or DDS texture its tranclucency information will also be extracted.

Secondary Texture Selection

A second texture can be selected. If selected, this texture will be blended with the primary texture to create a new texture. A secondary texture can be selected by clicking on the texture preview, by clicking the Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

You can also set a translucent factor for the secondary texture. A larger amount results in less of the secondary texture being visible in the blended texture.

To reset the secondary texture to the default click the Reset Texture button.

Translucency Map Selection

A translucency map can be selected. If selected, this texture is used to specify varied translucency for the material. The translucency map can be selected by clicking on the translucency map preview, by clicking the Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

Translucency can range from white indicating completely opaque to black indicating transparent.

To reset the translucency map to the default click the Reset Texture button.

Note that if you have chosen a TGA, PNG or DDS texture 3D Canvas will use its embedded translucency information and there is no need to select a separate Translucency Map. You can however override the translucency of a TGA or PNG texture by selecting a Translucency Map if you wish.

Bump Map Selection

A bump map is used to simulate bumpiness for a shape.

The bump map can be selected by clicking on the bump map preview, by clicking the Select Texture button, or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

Note that bump maps should be grey scale images. Also note that not all graphics cards support bump mapping.

Bump map shading is based on a single light source. The main point light in a scene is used as the lighting direction.

To reset the bump map to the default click the Reset Texture button.

Specular Map Selection

A specular map is used to simulate specular highlighting. Sometimes it is difficult to light a shape so that has attractive specular highlights. A specular map simplifies this process by allowing you to specify exactly how the highlights should look.

Specular maps are added to the current color so it is best that they be dark.

A specular map can be selected by clicking on the specular map preview, by clicking the Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

To reset the specular map to the default click the Reset Texture button.

Environment Map Selection

An environment map is used to simulate reflections.

Environment maps are added to the current color so it is best that they be dark.

A environment map can be selected by clicking on the environment map preview, by clicking the Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

To reset the environment map to the default click the Reset Texture button.

Custom Field Entry

Custom material fields can be defined using the File Properties window. These fields are automatically displayed here and can be updated with values as you desire. These fields can be accessed from custom scripts, plug-ins and operations.

In this example a field called Name was defined, using the File Properties window, and the value was set to Light Specular.

Advanced Options

is used to turn on double-sided rendering for the material.

You can also specify how the alpha channel of the primary texture is used. It can be used as a standard alpha channel, bump map, specular map, environment map, or not used at all.

is used to indicate that all alpha values other than 1 should be rendered as transparent. This improves the rendering speed of 3D Canvas.

Alpha Test is a Direct 3D setting that determines how alpha in a texture is used. See the Direct 3D SDK for information on how to use this setting.

To reset to the default settings click the Reset to Standard Settings button.

Material Plug-in Selection

Material plug-ins are typically written by third parties and extend 3D Canvas' materials.

Available plug-ins include:

Adjust Alpha Test which is used to specify the texture alpha level that is rendered transparent

Set Specular Color which allows the selection of a specific specular color.

remembers the current plug-in settings.